iPhone Envy-Treo appreciation

Sure I have iPhone Envy! That gorgeous screen, real web page rendering, best ipod ever, slickest user interface, WiFi. No doubt, the iPhone is groundbreaking technology that pushes wireless mobile devices to a new level.

But wait! I realy dig my Palm Treo 700p. There are many functions I can do that iPhoners can't, like load some great 3rd party apps... IM anyone? You can't configure keyboard shortcuts without a keyboard! I have an SD expansion card, a removable replaceable battery, threaded SMS client, customizable menu screens, cut copy paste, view PDF's and edit MS Office files. I can sync and transfer files via bluetooth. And just like an iPhone, I can surf the web, check email. I have Google Maps, mp3 player, movie player and YouTube. Its not always as slick and well integrated, but the Treo can do it (and with fast 3G, not slow as molases EDGE). Too bad no WiFi like iPhone. Of great importance, I can do almost any function with one hand, even while driving (not recommended... but let's face it, we all do it). I bet it's not so easy to do that on the iPhone.

The palm treo is awsome (BTW, before this I had a blackberry... it sucks). Palm should be more proactive in hyping its great smartphone features versus the iPhone (and Blackberry). But still... when I hold that iPhone, it is like having the future in my hands. Apple innovation has done it once again.

New (Old) way to buy tunes

For the last few years I have been buying virtually all my music digitally. I've been doing it mostly through eMusic a great alternative source with a unique and wonderful jazz collection. Sure, it's a great service at a great price, but one thing has been missing with digital music. Liner Notes, with groovy cover art, complete personell listing, date recorded, and often inciteful commentary and background into the musicians and the recording session. Maybe a better way is to buy used over the Internet. I just scored this Blue Note classic, Hank Mobley, Workout. $6.75 plus $3 for shipping (from Amazon, used-like new condition). For less then $10, under what you would pay on iTunes, you get the tunes, extensive liner notes, rip it DRM-free in whatever format and compression rate you choose, and you have the CD as hard backup. You can't beat that at any digital storefront.



As for the album, Hank Mobley is playing a hard driving tenor sax with a rock solid rhythm section of Paul Chambers-b, Wynton Kelly-p, Philly Joe Jones-d. Grant Green rounds out the sound on guitar. A winning combination for sure. Driving, straight up classic jazz with a soulful, bluesy influence as well.